Gripper for printing-presses.



B. F. BERRY. GRIPPER POB PRINTING PRESSES. APPLIOATION FILED oo1'.2a,19o5.

Patented Mar. 30, 1909.

lENJAMIN I". BERRY, Ol"

FIELD, NEW JERSEY; SAID WALTER SCOTT, DILCEASED.

HT. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIUNOII 'I'O WA lfllllt SCOTT, OF PLAIN- ISABISLLLA SCOTT ANI) DAVID .IOIIN SCOTT llXLGOlS'IOltS OI*` GRIPPER FOB PRINTING-PRESSES.

Specification of Lettera Patent.

Patented Mart-l1 30, 1909.

Application filed October 23, 1905. Serial No. 283,8814

P' all whom fit may concern:

Be it. known that l. BENJAMIN I?. Benni', :t citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Stjuouis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Im proveniente in Sheet-Grippers, oi' which the following is a specification.

'Ihe present invention relates to sheet grippers, and has more particularly refer ence to sheet grippers used in printing or similar maclnnes.

The object of the invention is to produce a simple and ellicient structure of gripper mechanism in which the gripper linger or fingers are capable of automatically and individually compensating for unevenness in the thickness of the paper or irregularities of adjustment.

A further objeetiesides in makin a gripv per mechanism of this character a justable both eircumferentially and laterally.

'lo this end the invention consists of the hereinafter described features of construetion, combination ol' parts and arrangement of elements.

In the zueompanying drawings the inven iion is embodied in a concrete and preferred form, but changes of construction may be made without departingr from the intendeth scope of the invention.

In the said drawingsz Figure I, is a (ross-sectional v'iew through a. ortion of an impression cylinder and feed ioard, showing' the invention applied to :t printing' ma elaine, the4 gripper shaft being in Cross see tion and one of the gripper lingers being,l shown in elevation. Fig. II. is a erosssootional view taken on the line II.A-II. ol Fig. IV. showingv one ot the gripper fingers in elevation. Fig. III. is an elevation of a fragment of the gripl'ier shalt showing one` of the gripper lingers, its operating means and the rearward stop for the same. Fig. IV. is a plan view of the parts'shown in Fig. Il. with parts broken away. Fig'. Y. is a cross-seetional view on the line VNV of; Fig. III. with the gripper finger shown in elevation. Fi VI. is an elevation showing' the improvement applied in a reeiproeatiner sheet feeding ordellvery mechanism. Fig. VII. is a plan view showin several gripper fin ers mounted on a rocks aft or support.

t imilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

lthe gripper lingers Ll ad apted to designates a frag-ment o1" the impression 'fylinder of a printingl machine. provided with the usual cavity Il in which the gripper mechanism is arranged. l

I) is the usual feed board ou which a sheet of paper as X is led, and E indicates a conventional representation of a gage or stop.

(l indicates a fixed member in the form of a shoulder against which the movable inember or gripper finger is adapted to press in seizing' the sheet. In accordance with the practice common in the art, there may be any required number of these gripper Iin ners. The .said movable member or gripper linger is loosely mounted on the rocksiinft or supporting member 'l and is adjustable both `circmnferentially and laterally. The roekshalt l is properly supported in the im pression cylinder A in a well known manner and by its oscillation serves lo open and close the grippors.

Interposed between the roelfsbaft or support and the movable member or gripper linger isa springtr connection in the present instance taking the form ot an operatingr member or collar o adjustable eireinnferen tiallj1 and laterally on the said shaft and held in position by means of a set-screw (3, and a` spring,r 8 which latter preferably surrounds the shaft I within the collar and is fitted tosaid collar and gripper finger in any suitable manner as by entering into notches or recesses therein as most clearly seenin Figs. Il. and IV. suitable stop further pro vided for preventing!y undue movement of in :t direct ion away from the fixed member. This stop will preferably lake the form of a. eollar 4, having a lug enter into the recess Il on the This lue; 4 is of a width less than the said recess so as to permit the movable member to oseillate Within a limited degree. The collar `i is adjustable both oirA eumferentially and laterally and is held in position by means of the. set screw 4*. By adjusting` the collars 4; and 5 the loosely mounted ripper may likewise be adjusted eireumferentlally or laterally as may be reuired.

lVhen the movable member or gripper linger descends upon the sheet, it will, if any discrepancy exists, automatically ield in the act of seizing the sheet and hol the same properly, thereby compensating for movable member.

l of pa er are carried andiH one of the rollers on wiich said apron operates. l is the rockshaft to which the spring controlled or spring,r actuated collars of the gripper fingen` 2 are fitted to oscillate independently of l each other in the same manner as that previously described. The operation of the gripper ngers in this modification will be obvious from the previous description and further mention is deemed unnecessary.

While I have described my grippers as used in connection with a irinting machine, I wish it understood that lido not limit myself to their use upon this particular class of machinery as I am aware that they may bc used on various other mechanisms.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sheet gripper mechanism, the com* hination of a fixed member, a plurality of gripper fingers, a rockshaft on which the said gripper fingers are loosely mounted, a plurality of o erating members, also on the said rocksha t for imparting the motion of the ysaid rockshaft to the gripper fingers, springs interposed between the operating members and the gripper fingers capacitated to allow the said grip er fin ers to automatically and individually yiel in a direction away from the fixed member when in the act of seizing a Sheet, means for individually adjusting the said operating,r members and gripper fingers both circum erentially and laterally on the rockshaft.

2. In a sheet bination of a Xed member, a plurality of gripperl fingers, a rockshaft on which the sai gripper fingers are loosely mounted, plurality of o erating members, also on the said rocksha t for im arting the motion of the said rockshaft to t e gripper fingers, springs interposed between the operating members and the gripper fingers capacitated to allow the said gripper fingers to automatically and individually yield in a direction a'way from the fixed member'when in the act of seizing a sheet, means for individually adjusting the said operating members and gripper 'fingers both circumferentially an lateraly on the .rockshaft, and means for limitini the movement of the gripper fingers in a irection away from the x member.

3. In a sheet gripper mechanism, the coinipper mechanism, the coinand in l liination of a fixed member., a roclcshaft, an

oscillatory spi-ing actuated gripper finger loosely mounted on the said shaft, and a collar on said shaft fitted to said grip ier finger and arranged to restrict its oscillatory movement away from the fixed member.

4. ln a sheet lgripper mechanism, the coinl bination of a rockshaft, :in oscillatory'spring actuated gripper finger loosely mounted on said shaft, and a rotatably adjustable collar l on said shaft fitted to said gripper finger and arranged to restrict its oscillatory iiio\'enient.

i. In a sheet gripper mechanism, the conibination of' a rock shaft, an os'cillatory spring arliiated gripper finger, loosely mount ed on said shaft and provided with a recess, and a collar iiionnted on said shaft and having a lngr seated in said recess to restrict the degree of' oscillation of said gripper finger.

(3. ln a sheet gripper mechanism, the coinbin-ation of a roclishaft, an oscillatory spring actuated gripper finger loosely mounted on .said shaft, and a collar mounted on said shaft, one of said members mounted on said shaft bein provided with a lug and the other of' said members being rovided with a recess to receive said ln w ieieby the deggrce of oscillation of sai gripper finger is restricted.

T. Ina sheet gripper mechanism, the com bination of a root shaft, an oscillating;r sheet gripper finger loosely mounted on. said shaft, a collar fixed to said shaft adjacent to said finger, and a spring surround in j said shaft and having its ends fitted to said finger and to said collar to yieldingllv hold said finger.

8. In a sheet gripper mechanism, the com* bination of a fixed member, a movable meniber, a rock-shaft on which the said movable member is loosely mounted, and an operating member mounted .fast on the said rockshaft but in a different plane transversely from that of the movable member for imparting the motion of the said rock-shaft to the movable member, and means for adjusting the said operatin member and movable member both circum erentially and laterally on the rock-shaft.

9. In a sheet gripper mechanism, the com bination of a fixed member, a movable member, a rock-shaft on which the said movable memberlis loosely mounted, an operatin member mounted fast on theV said rock-s aft but in a different lane trails` verse-ly from that of the Inova le member for imparting the motion of the said rockshaft to the movable membelg. and a spring interposed between the operating member and the movable member capacitated to al- `low the said movable member to automateruiiig member mid movable, member bulli rireiimlereiitiiilly iii/1d laterally mi the roekhliilft.

10. In u sheet gripper meeliiuiisiii, lille com0 biiiiitioii of a Hxed member, u movable mem bei', ai rock-shaft on which the said movable member is loosely mounted, :md mi operar ing member mounted fast on lie sa id roekslizifi'. bill iii :i diifereiit plaine transversely `from that of tbe mumble member for imparting (lie molioii of the said ruelslmft tu ille iiioriible member, und u .Hiep for liiliiiing llie ixmveiilent of ilie movable member in a direction away from the fixed member, uml meiiiis for iidjiii'iiig tlie said Operating mem- -ber :ind movable member both cireuiiifeieniinlljvv iiiid laterally nii ilie rock-shaft.

l1. Iii :i sheet gripper iiiecliaiiisni,the cumbimilimi of n. Fixed member, :i iiioviible member, ii rock-shaft mi wliieli the sind movable member is lmi ely iiimmled, und un operating member mniiiiiwl falsi, ou the said roekflizi'l` bui iii :i different plane transversely from .izil if ilie limvsible member for imparting* lbe mutimi nl ilie mid rrnlvsliiift t0 ille iimx'iible member, mid ii hiep for limiting ille iiimeiiienl el' llie mumble member in a direction :iwny from the xed iiien'iber, und meiim fur iidjlrting die .mid uperziliiig member :uid movable member belli.circumfereniinllj imd liiiernlly im tlie roelesliiift.

W i1. Il. Sci'rr'r,` BLANCHE HOGAN. 

